Jan Jones Blackhurst
Jan Jones Blackhurst | |
|---|---|
| 20th Mayor of Las Vegas | |
| In office July 1991 – June 8, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Ron Lurie |
| Succeeded by | Oscar Goodman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Janis Lyle Laverty March 16, 1949 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Fletcher Jones (divorced) Dana Blackhurst (m. 2003) |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) |
Jan Jones Blackhurst (née Laverty; March 16, 1949) is an American businesswoman and politician who served as the 20th mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada from 1991 until 1999. She was first woman to serve as mayor of Las Vegas. Jones Blackhurst is a member of the Democratic Party.
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Janis Lyle Laverty was born in Los Angeles, California, raised in Santa Monica, and graduated from Stanford University in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in English.[1] She became a recognized figure in Las Vegas in the 1980s, appearing as a spokeswoman in television commercials for her family's supermarket chain, Thriftimart, and later a car dealership owned by her then-husband, Fletcher Jones Jr.[2]
Mayor of Las Vegas
[edit]In 1990, Jones Blackhurst, known then as Jan Jones, ran for mayor of the city of Las Vegas. She was elected in 1991 and later re-elected in 1995, serving two four-year terms. During her time in office, Las Vegas' population grew significantly and Jones Blackhurst was credited for making the city "more livable" and directing attention towards social issues such as homelessness and LGBT rights.[3][4]
She oversaw the redevelopment of the Fremont Street area, which opened as the current Fremont Street Experience in 1995.[4]
While mayor, Jones Blackhurst ran for Nevada governor twice, losing significantly in the 1994 Democratic primary to then-incumbent Bob Miller. After gaining the Democratic nomination in 1998, she was defeated in the general election by Kenny Guinn, the Republican nominee. In 1999, she chose not to run for a third term as mayor.[3]
Post-mayoral career
[edit]After her mayorship, Jones Blackhurst joined Caesars Entertainment, later serving as executive vice president.[4] In 2007, she was quoted by the British newspaper, The Observer, as saying Celine Dion's husband and manager, Rene Angelil, gambled up to $1 million per week. She later retracted her comments and apologized.[5]
Jones Blackhurst sits on the board of directors of several organizations including Caesars, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority,[6] and the Las Vegas Stadium Authority, which owns Allegiant Stadium.[7]
She is currently the executive director of the Black Fire Leadership Initiative at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.[8]
Personal life
[edit]Jones Blackhurst is married to Dana Blackhurst, her second husband. They married in 2003 and she added Blackhurst to her surname.[9] Jones Blackhurst has six children.[9]
Dana Blackhurst is an education advocate for learning disabilities who has headed several schools over the years, including at The Chandler School (which he founded) and Camperdown Academy in Greenville, South Carolina and Pine Ridge School in Williston, Vermont.[10]
They live near in the master-planned community of Summerlin in the city of Las Vegas.[11]
Honors
[edit]In 2017, the newly-built Jones Blackhurst Elementary school was named after her by the Clark County School District near the Mountain's Edge neighborhood of unincorporated Enterprise.[12]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Biography: Jan Jones Blackhurst". University of Nevada, Las Vegas. n.d. Archived from the original on April 25, 2025.
- ^ "The Oral History of Jan Jones Blackhurst". UNLV Gaming Law Journal. 8 (25). 2017.
- ^ a b Neff, Erin (June 8, 1999). "Jones Leaves Legacy". Las Vegas Sun. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016.
- ^ a b c Solomon, Micah (May 23, 2019). "Top Caesars Exec (And Vegas's 1st Female Mayor): Diversity, Inclusion Boost Bottom Line Results". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 25, 2025.
- ^ "Casino denies Dion husband losses". BBC News. February 2, 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2007.
- ^ "Board of Directors". Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
- ^ "Board Members". Las Vegas Stadium Authority. Archived from the original on January 20, 2025.
- ^ Velotta, Richard (January 10, 2020). "Jan Jones Blackhurst hopes to boost women leaders with UNLV post". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020.
- ^ a b Ruark, Craig (May 25, 2015). "Jan Jones Blackhurst". Las Vegas Business Press. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ Cary, Nathaniel (December 1, 2015). "The Chandler School molded after its dyslexic creator". The Greenville News.
- ^ Thilmont, Greg (July 4, 2015). "Check out the home of this former Las Vegas mayor". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021.
- ^ "Our School Namesake: Mrs. Jan Jones Blackhurst". Jones Blackhurst Elementary School. Clark County School District. 2017. Archived from the original on April 25, 2025.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1949 births
- 20th-century mayors of places in Nevada
- Activists from California
- Harrah's Entertainment
- Living people
- Nevada Democrats
- Politicians from Las Vegas
- Stanford University alumni
- United States Chamber of Commerce people
- Women in Nevada politics
- Women mayors of places in Nevada
- 21st-century American women
- Mayors of Las Vegas